Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos: Neil Magny fight at UFC on ESPN 71 'a long time coming'
Dos Santos (25-9-1 MMA, 11-5-1 UFC) made his promotional debut in May 2015, more than 26 months after Magny (29-13 MMA, 22-12 UFC) stepped into the octagon for the first time. Despite both spending more than a decade in the same division with more than 50 combined appearances, they've never fought or much less been booked.
So when the Magny was finally offered, even with a less-than-desirable training camp runway ahead of fight night, dos Santos had to jump on it.
"This has been a fight that's been a long time coming," dos Santos told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at Wednesday's UFC on ESPN 71 media day. "That's why I accepted it on short notice, because I know it's something that should've happened a while ago. It's a fight that's very interesting, and it should be a very good one. You talk about two veterans of the UFC and two people that know their way around the octagon. It should be a good one with a lot of experience."
Dos Santos, 38, said experience will come into play in the fight with Magny, 37, and who can put their vast knowledge of the octagon to best use.
It's a key contest for both aging athletes after being stopped in their most recent outings, and dos Santos said it will be important to not slip up.
"He's a very experienced fighter," dos Santos said. "(He's) somebody that knows how to explore the space around the octagon, someone that you have to be very aware when fighting because he always tries to find opportunities to get an advantage. He's someone that is always going to try to take the rounds. You have to aware at all times."
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